Minotaur Shock is the recording alias of David Edwards, an English electronic artist whose open-ended style weaves in elements of indie, pop and folk. His sound has previously been described as folktronica, a tag that Edwards says annoys him and even influenced the method behind his new record.

"The word used to bug me... So this was my perverse reaction to it—I figured that instead of trying to avoid folk I might as well get in there and see what happened. I was inspired by the strange semi-organic sounds of modern string modelling synthesizers, so wanted to see what would happen if I mixed them with real stringed instruments—how many fake instruments I could bury under real ones."

Orchard marks Edwards' first body of work following a four-year hiatus. According to a press release, it's the first album he's recorded with a full studio and rack of live instruments at his disposal. Flutes and clarinets come from his regular collaborator Emily Edwards and James Underwood plays violin. Gold Panda and Bass Clef have contributed remixes, which will be immediately available to anyone who orders (or pre-orders) the album.

For a taste of the album, stream the song "Saundersfoot" in original and remixed form right here.